Open Water Swim Journal

I swam around Manhattan last August, counterclockwise from Battery Park to Battery Park. It was a goal I set for myself, then trained for for the better part of a year, attempted in June unsuccessfully, and then finally met on a bright summer day in August supported by an incredible team of friends and family. … Continue reading →

If you read my post from the evening of June 7th, you know I was gearing up to swim the 28.5 miles around Manhattan the next morning. But if that’s the last you heard (I never claimed to be good at posting regularly!) you may not know that I did not make it all the … Continue reading →

With the exception of those joyous, carefree, childhood summers that lasted for years at a stretch, I can’t remember a time in my life when I was happier just going about my business day to day. I loved this summer. And on that note, although the last thing I would ever want to do is … Continue reading →

As the ocean water warms, and the winter fades into memory, I reflect on my first winter of ocean swimming… But first… I remember a skiing trip my family took when I was around 10 years old with a bunch of other families from Seattle. At night, while the parents sat together over boring drinks, … Continue reading →

In February, I spent a lovely week with SwimTrek swimming in the Red Sea. My experience with SwimTrek a year ago (Long Distance Training in Gozo) was an extremely physically and psychologically intense one. That is not what I was looking for in this trip, as it was my first time swimming long distances in … Continue reading →

While I muddle through writing up posts about July (Kingdom Swim, 8-Bridges crew, England swim adventure, Channel crewing, etc.) my fearless relay partner, Suzanne Sataline, has already written up a beautiful piece about yesterday’s charity swim, a 25K crossing of Long Island Sound. Suzanne is a freelance journalist and former newspaper reporter who is working … Continue reading →

For those who are wondering why… Why swim in the open water in (and around) New York City? This post may help clear things up. June was a month filled with experiences I will not soon forget. Indeed, there was never a dull moment. Most notably, perhaps, is the way my New York changed from … Continue reading →

My 10-mile swim in July (Kingdom Swim) will be in a lake—Lake Memphremagog, that is— so it occurred to me at some point that it would be important to spend some time training in a lake. So much open water swimming out at Coney Island and Brighton Beach could really give a swimmer a false … Continue reading →

This post includes all May open water swims. They are: Jackrabbit Jerseyman Iron swim, beginning of the season with the CIBBOWS, NYC Swim season opener: Great Hudson River Swim, and more CIBBOWS swims. Jackrabbit Jerseyman Iron Swim (race) Date: Saturday, May 7th, 2011 (The day before my 31st birthday!) Location: Clinton, New Jersey Water: Spruce … Continue reading →

This is a post about attempting a six-hour swim in 15°C Mediterranean waters. Much of the post takes place inside my head. The first two paragraphs are repeated from the end of the last post, Systematic Breakdown of Body, Mind, and Limits (Malta post 2 of 3) DAY THREE Tuesday was the only day for … Continue reading →

About Me

I learned to swim as a wee one from my dad, who didn't really swim himself, but was tall enough and encouraging enough to send me back and forth to the side of a pool. There were also the terrifyingly wonderful trips on his shoulders out into crashing ocean surf, which instilled in me a fear and respect for the rising and falling, tempestuous beast, on whom he repeatedly admonished us kids to never, ever turn our backs. Read more...

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